Transcription

1 The Rights of Parents to Home-school Their Children in Europe Written by Mr J. Sperling, LL.M and Drs. P.J. van Zuidam Spoken by Drs. P.J. van Zuidam at the World Congress of Families V, Forum 2 10 August, 2009 i 1. Introduction I am to talk about home-schooling, which is education given by the parents as well as the social network of the family, but under the full parental responsibility. All European countries have compulsory education laws, and all they all require parents to provide their children with an education. In most countries, parents have the option of teaching their children themselves, instead of enrolling them in a public or private school. But the conditions on which they may do so are very different in each country. For example, in the United Kingdom, there are few rules regarding what parents have to teach their children, no mandatory inspections, testing or other examinations. Home-schooled children who have never attended school are not registered as such. In France there are regular inspections both by school inspectors and by social workers, and the teaching result may not be less than the national curriculum. In Austria, there are no inspections, but home-schooled children have to pass the same annual exam as school children. In a few countries home-schooling as such cannot satisfy the compulsory education law. This is the case in Slovakia, Cyprus, Germany and The Netherlands. The Dutch law gives some back door options, but Germany is particularly strict. Under laws in essence dating from 1938, all residents are prohibited from teaching their children, even foreigners who live in Germany for a short while and who plan to return to their own country, so that it would be in the children s best interest to continue their own national curriculum. The sanctions include large fines, prison sentences for parents, and foster care for children, sometimes even with the forced commitment of children to a psychiatric institution, only because they were homeschooled. Until recently, home-schooling was also prohibited in the former Communist countries. But after the fall of the Communist regimes the new governments of most of these countries, including Russia, Poland, Rumania, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, have somehow authorized home-schooling as a recognition of the right of parents to choose the education of their children. Despite the facts that so many European countries allow parents to teach their own children and that there is no evidence that home-schooling violates the right to education, the European Court of Human Rights has allowed States to prohibit homeschooling. In a 2006 case, Konrad and Others v. Germany, the Court recognized that the parental choice to home-school children is part of the right to privacy and family life. But the court also decided that the German prohibition of home-schooling did not

2 violate this right. I will discuss the Konrad case in more detail. I start to explain some of the international rules that are relevant to this case. I will close by describing a bit of the impact. 2. International law On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UDHR is a product of the post- World War II period, during which there was great interest in the international protection of human rights. When the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany became clear during and after the second World War, the international community realized that the protection on the national level had proven completely inadequate and that protection on an international level was necessary. Its preamble states that teaching and education are important aspects of human rights, since teaching and education can advance respect for human rights and can secure their effective recognition and observance. The delegates considered the right to education as fundamental. The UDHR contains the following provision on the right to education and the rights of parents regarding their children s education. Article 26 states: 1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. [ ] 2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. 3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. But the UDHR is not legally binding. It is not a treaty; it only gives guidelines for the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Nevertheless, it gave the foundation for a number of international treaties and national laws, such as the European Convention on Human Rights. This Convention is legally binding, and in most European countries its provisions can be invoked before national courts. It also has its own court, the European Court on Human Rights. In most European countries, national courts will accept its judgments as if they come from their own Supreme Court or even a higher authority. The ECHR contains two provisions with respect to parental rights in education. Article 8 ECHR reads: Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life. Family life includes the right and obligation of parents to raise their children and to have them educated in accordance with their beliefs. Article 2 of the First Protocol to the ECHR reads: No person shall be denied the right to education. In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions. 2

3 The European Court of Human Rights has defined the term philosophical convictions broadly. Not only does it apply to beliefs that are similar to religious beliefs, for example humanistic beliefs, but also includes a wide range of other parental views, including the choice of parents to teach their children themselves. Thus, under Article 8 ECHR and Article 2 of the First Protocol, the State must respect the choice of parents to home-school their children. However, Article 8 ECHR and Article 2 of the First Protocol allow the State to restrict this choice for a limited number of reasons. The main reason is that parents must not violate their children s right to education. In other words, the State only has to respect the parental choice to the extent that it does not violate the child s right to education. Thus, the State is allowed to infringe on the rights of parents in order to protect this right. When a State takes actions limiting parental rights, however, it must comply with a number of procedural conditions: it must be necessary and proportional. In particular, the limitation must be necessary to achieve its goal and cannot go any further than required to achieve this goal. 3. Konrad and Others v. Germany There have been four (published) cases on home-schooling under the ECHR. Each of these cases confirmed that parent s choice to educate their children at home falls within Articles 8 and Protocol 1, Article 2 ECHR, but each recognized that the State has the right to restrict this choice. In the most recent case, Konrad and Others v. Germany, the Court even held that a complete prohibition of home-schooling as a means to satisfy compulsory education requirements was consistent with parental rights to choose to educate their children at home. The facts of this case were as follows. A number of Christian parents living in Baden-Württemberg requested permission from the local educational authorities to educate their children at home. There was no school of their faith near their home, and they would have been compelled to enroll their children in the public school. According to the Court records, the parents stated that one of the reasons they preferred to home-school their children was that they did not want their children to be in contact with children of other beliefs. The authorities refused permission. The parents appealed, but the German courts ruled against them at every level. The German courts held that the acquisition of knowledge and integration into and first experiences of society are important goals in primary-school education. They found that those objectives could not be met to the same extent by home-schooling, even if it allowed children to acquire the same standard of knowledge as provided by primary-school education. They stressed the general interest of society in avoiding the emergence of parallel societies based on separate philosophical convictions and the importance of integrating minorities into society. The parents appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, alleging that the German authorities refusal to allow them to educate their children at home violated their right to ensure an education for their children in conformity with their own religious convictions as guaranteed by Protocol 1, Article 2. The Court, however, held that the German authorities presumptions about home-schooling were not erroneous and did not fall within the States power in setting up and 3

4 interpreting rules for their education systems. Moreover, the Court held, parents would still be able to teach their religious beliefs to their children outside school hours. In my opinion, this decision was decided incorrectly under Articles 8 and Protocol 1, Article 2 ECHR. First, the Court did not examine whether a complete prohibition of homeschooling was necessary to protect children s right to education. If the Court had done so, it could not have decided as it did. The German authorities presented no evidence that home-schooling is less effective than school education, and even the Court labeled their arguments as presumptions. Still, the Court did not require the German authorities to present any evidence for their assumptions, even though the State limitation on parental rights was very severe. If the Court had asked for evidence, the German authorities would have been unable to provide it, since to my knowledge there is no such evidence. In fact, research comparing home-schooled children and adults to school educated children and adults concludes that home-schooled children and adults perform as well academically as their school-educated peers, if not better. Similar results have been reported for children with learning disabilities and children from lower social and economic backgrounds. There is also no evidence that homeschooling leads to the formation of parallel societies or groups that violate the basic principles of a democratic society. On the contrary, studies suggest that homeschooling actually furthers the State s interests in producing productive and socially engaged citizens. Second, a complete prohibition of home-schooling is not proportional to the State objective of social integration. Neither the European Court nor the German authorities examined whether the purpose of promoting social integration could have been achieved by less restrictive means. But it is obvious that less restrictive means are available. The State could, for example, require home-schooling parents to provide their children with instruction on citizenship and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms. The State could conduct inspections to ensure that these conditions are respected. There are many examples of how home-schooling can be regulated. Third, the text of Protocol 1, Article 2 requires the State to respect parents rights in the exercise of any functions that it assumes in relation to education and to teaching. Justifying an infringement with the argument that parents are still allowed to teach their children in conformity with their own beliefs outside the exercise of the State functions means violating the text of Protocol 1, Article Conclusion The conclusion can only be that the Konrad judgment is incorrect as a matter of law and reflects prejudices and ignorance about home-schooling. This may not be the last case that the ECHR has to deal with, and it may also be that the UN Human Rights Committee, another ruling body in human rights matters that most European citizens can turn to, assumes a different legal perspective on home-schooling. This has not been attempted yet as far as I am aware. 4

5 Nevertheless, this ruling stands and can have a major impact on parents rights to home-school their children all over Europe, even in countries where it is now legal. In Sweden, for example, the government has now proposed to abolish homeschooling completely. In England the government is looking into tightening the rules applicable to home-schooling. The Konrad decision could serve as a legal support for these changes. Appendix: the Netherlands The Konrad decision currently provides legal protection from challenges in the few European countries where home-schooling as such is prohibited, including the Netherlands. In Holland, home-schooling was prohibited during the Nazi occupation because the Nazis saw school education as an important means of indoctrinating children. Home-schooling was legalized again after World War II, but then prohibited under a partly Socialist government in The 1969 law is unusual, though. It contains a provision that exempts parents and children from compulsory school enrollment if no school on a reasonable distance from their home advances their religious or philosophical convictions. Children under this exemption are educated at home. The remaining legal duty for the parent is to guide the child and to advance the development of his/her personality. Another way to educate children at home is to enroll him/her in a foreign school that provides distance education and guidance. In recent years, proposals have been made to make it easier for parents to choose to educate their children at home, while creating a new regime to ensure that parents who do not send their children to school do satisfy their parental obligation to provide their children with an education. So far, no action has been taken. The number of affected families is a few hundred, and the issue receives far more attention than the numbers warrant. Underlying the controversy in the Netherlands may be the fear also expressed in the Konrad case that home-schooling can lead to the formation of parallel societies or isolated groups. This concern seems completely misplaced, however; as already mentioned, there is no evidence that home-schooling in fact has this effect. It also seems inconsistent to prohibit home-schooling on this ground while allowing separate religious schools, which would be, if anything, more likely to lead to the creation of isolated groups. On the other hand, the public awareness of home-schooling is growing. A few well-received interviews of home-educating families in parenting magazines may suggest that the Dutch public is more positively interested to home-schooling than it was a few years ago and more aware that home-schooling is in fact permitted in most developed countries. Over time, I hope that the Dutch law on home-schooling will eventually reflect a sensible balance between parental rights and children s right to education, 5

6 and not the ignorance and prejudices that underlay the European Court s judgment in Konrad. i This speech is displayed on: 6

I PRECEDINGS Under the pretext of meeting Recommendation 12/2002 of the Council of Europe, the Spanish Government introduced in 2006, without the desirable consensus, a set of mandatory and graded school

Table of contents: *** In Europe the issue of personal data protection is settled by European Parliament s and European Council s Directive 95/46/WE of October 24, 1995 (which is basis of Polish regulations)

RELIGION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BACKGROUND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN AMERICA & OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS Since its founding in 1913, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has been guided by its mandate of combating bigotry,

Annex 1 Primary sources for international standards 1. The United Nations The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 20 1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights Preamble Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice

European Citizens Initiative on Unconditional Basic Income ANNEX Initiators of the ECI The persons presenting the proposal for our ECI are citizens out of 15 EU Member States (Austria, Belgium, Denmark,

English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force. Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) 235.1 of 19 June

A clean and open Internet: Public consultation on procedures for notifying and acting on illegal content hosted by online intermediaries Questions marked with an asterisk * require an answer to be given.

FIFTH REVIEW CONFERENCE OF THE STATES PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON THE PROHIBITION OF THE DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION AND BWC/CONF.V/COW/WP.28 STOCKPILING OF BACTERIOLOGICAL 27 November 2001 (BIOLOGICAL) AND

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA REPUBLIKA SRPSKA Judicial and prosecutorial training center team INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN CRIMINAL MATTERS (Practical approach to certain issues which are not regulated by law

EU Lesson Plan Name of Teacher: School: Oakland Schools Title of Lesson Plan: The European Union: United in Diversity Grades: 6th or 7 th Description: This lesson introduces the students to the countries

The codification of criminal law and current questions of prison matters Kondorosi Ferenc Under Secretary of State Ministry of Justice Hungary Criminal law is the branch of law, in which society s expectations

Home School Frequently Asked Questions Revised September 2012 Note: This document was adapted from the frequently asked questions developed by the Virginia Department of Education. I want to home school

Data Protection Policy 1. Introduction to the Data Protection Policy Everyone who works for Chorley Council uses personal data in the course of their duties. Chorley Council must gather and process personal

Request for an Opinion by the European Parliament, draft EU-Canada PNR agreement (Opinion 1/15) Hearing of 5 April 2016 Pleading notes of the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) Mr President, Ladies

/unofficial translation/ LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA ON CITIZENSHIP OF GEORGIA Citizenship is the stable legal relationship of a person with the state which is expressed in the totality of their mutual

IMMIGRATION TO AND EMIGRATION FROM GERMANY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS Bernd Geiss* Germany, Destination for Migrants Germany is in the middle of Europe and has common borders with nine countries. Therefore,

Recent developments regarding Mexico s tax treaty network and relevant court precedents Mexico has a relatively short background on the negotiation and application of treaties for the avoidance of double

Constitutional Law of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Rights of National and Ethnic Communities or Minorities in the Croatia (as amended in May 2000) COMMITTEE FOR LEGISLATION OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The Aarhus Convention as a tool for enhancing the role of the public in tackling climate change Jeremy Wates, Secretary to the Aarhus Convention, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Why is the

ANNEX A CABINET OFFICE THE CIVIL SERVICE NATIONALITY RULES Introduction The Civil Service Nationality Rules concern eligibility for employment in the Civil Service on the grounds of nationality and must

SIGNATURES AND CURRENT STATUS OF RATIFICATIONS AMERICAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS "PACT OF SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA" (Signed at San José, Costa Rica, 22 November 1969, at the Inter-American Specialized Conference

A CHARTER OF EUROPEAN IDENTITY 28 October 1995 Foreword In a speech to the European Parliament on March 8th, 1994, the poet Václav Havel, President of the Czech Republic, indicated the need for a Charter

ATLANTA DECLARATION AND PLAN OF ACTION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE RIGHT OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION We, over 125 members of the global access to information community from 40 countries, representing governments,

Sources of International Law: An Introduction by Professor Christopher Greenwood 1. Introduction Where does international law come from and how is it made? These are more difficult questions than one might

1 The Independent Schools Regulations being Chapter E-0.1 Reg 11 (consult the Table of Saskatchewan Regulations for effective date) as amended by Saskatchewan Regulations 78/2003 and 49/2012; and by the

DRUG ABUSE Section I: PREAMBLE The aim of this school policy is to establish an atmosphere that would promote a respect for and understanding of the use and abuse of drugs, including alcohol. Section II:

Consultation on the future of European Insolvency Law The Commission has put the revision of the Insolvency Regulation in its Work Programme for 2012. The revision is one of the measures in the field of

United Kingdom signs up to the 1996 Hague Child Protection Convention: What Family Lawyers Need to Know David Truex Barrister and Solicitor (Australia) Solicitor (England and Wales) Taylor Hampton Solicitors

Bahnhof - a Free Speech ISP Bahnhof is proud to be known as a Free Speech ISP. We do not enforce tighter restrictions on "speech" than the law demands. If the site and content is legal in Sweden, you may

Turkish Juvenile Justice System Dr. Gonca Gülfem BOZDAĞ Ministry of Justice Head of Department, DG for International Law and Foreign Relations gonca.gulfem.yilmaz@adalet.gov.tr Presentation Outline 1/2

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 17.9.2014 C(2014) 6767 final COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION Updating of data used to calculate lump sum and penalty payments to be proposed by the Commission to the Court

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966 entry into force

PNAE Paediatric Nursing Associations of Europe Paediatric Nurse Education in Europe A Position Statement by the Paediatric Nursing Associations of Europe (PNAE) Introduction The PNAE network carried out

What is the European Union? A unique economic and political partnership between 27 democratic European countries. What are its aims? Peace, prosperity and freedom for its 495 million citizens in a fairer,

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS Universal Declaration of Human Rights Preamble Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable

European Court of Human Rights Questions & Answers Questions & Answers What is the European Court of Human Rights? These questions and answers have been prepared by the Registry of the Court. The document

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Proposal for a Brussels, 24.3.2010 COM(2010) 105 final 2010/0067 (CNS) C7-0315/10 COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of the law applicable to divorce

Flash Eurobarometer EUROPEAN YOUTH: PARTICIPATION IN DEMOCRATIC LIFE REPORT Fieldwork: April 2013 Publication: May 2013 This survey has been requested by the European Commission, Directorate-General for

CHAPTER 13: International Law, Norms, and Human Rights MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. Why did the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, state that the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 was illegal?

82/2015-12 May 2015 Asylum decisions in the EU EU Member States granted to more than 185 000 asylum seekers in 2014 Syrians remain the main beneficiaries This News Release has been revised on 21 May following

Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights and the Parot Doctrine March 2014 The Law Library of Congress, Global Legal Research Center (202) 707-6462 (phone) (866) 550-0442 (fax) law@loc.gov http://www.law.gov

THE CHARTER AND STUDENT HANDOUT SECTION 1 OF THE CHARTER The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, enacted in 1982, changed the law so that Canadians now have constitutionally guaranteed rights that

CHAPTER 2 BILL OF RIGHTS Rights 7. (1) This Bill of Rights is a cornerstone of democracy in South Africa. It enshrines the rights of all people in our country and affirms the democratic values of human

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 25.9.2014 COM(2014) 592 final REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation in the period from 4 December 2011 until 31 December

Pamphlet No. 10 MINORITIES AND THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION Summary: The complaint procedures developed by the ILO for the protection of human rights may be used directly only by a government,

SECOND SECTION CASE OF ZICHY GALÉRIA v. HUNGARY (Application no. 66019/01) JUDGMENT STRASBOURG 5 April 2005 This judgment will become final in the circumstances set out in Article 44 2 of the Convention.

Organisation for Undocumented Migrant Workers vzw BEING YOUR OWN BOSS? INFORMATION ABOUT SELF- EMPLOYED STATUS The Organisation for Undocumented Migrant Workers has for a couple of years been helping foreign

Market Barriers A European Online Gambling Study 2012 An impartial and comprehensive evaluation of the current legal, regulatory and market landscape for online gambling in Europe Contents Contents Market

C H A R T E R O F V A L U E S OF C I T I Z E N S H I P AND I N T E G R A T I O N SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL - MINISTRY OF INTERIOR OFFICIAL TRANSLATION ITALY AS A COMMUNITY OF PERSONS AND VALUES Italy is one of

CONSEIL DE L EUROPE COUNCIL OF EUROPE COUR EUROPÉENNE DES DROITS DE L HOMME EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS SECOND SECTION DECISION AS TO THE ADMISSIBILITY OF Application no. 23131/03 by Mark Anthony NORWOOD

2008/12/09 - PL. ÚS 48/06: STATE AS BANKRUPTCY CREDITOR HEADNOTES The right to property, as a fundamental right, is protected by Art. 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. Under the first

CONSEIL DE L EUROPE COUNCIL OF EUROPE COUR EUROPÉENNE DES DROITS DE L HOMME EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS THIRD SECTION DECISION AS TO THE ADMISSIBILITY OF Application nos. 40766/06 and 40831/06 by Afram

Contract Work in Switzerland. A Brief Guide Introduction to Swissroll There are approximately 1,000,000 foreign employees in Switzerland, 25% of which commute from outside the country. Swissroll are registered

Relationship between asylum procedures and extradition procedures Committee of Experts on the Operation of European Conventions on Co-operation in Criminal Matters (PC-OC) Strasbourg, France 29 May 2013

I have rights, you have rights, he/she has rights... An introduction to children s rights Everyone has rights. Moreover, as a boy or girl aged under 18 you have certain specific rights. A list of these

1 PRE-TEST Directions: Read the following statements and circle whether they are True or False. 1. After World War One, many countries had difficulty dealing with war debts, hunger, and unemployment. 2.

Pamphlet No. 8 THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE'S FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES Summary: The European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities is the most comprehensive

Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment (EqHRIA) Standard Operating Procedure Notice: This document has been made available through the Police Service of Scotland Freedom of Information Publication

Code of Conduct for Business Partners Allegion is committed to conducting business with the highest ethical standards. Maintaining these standards has never been more important than in today s competitive

Ministry of Education Office of the Inspector of Independent Schools Overview of Independent Schools in British Columbia HISTORY The first privately run school in B.C. open to the public was founded in

PART I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Purpose This Data Protection Binding Corporate Rules Policy ( Policy ) establishes the approach of Fluor to compliance with European data protection law and specifically

UNITED NATIONS A General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/RES/53/144 8 March 1999 Fifty-third session Agenda item 110 (b) RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY [on the report of the Third Committee (A/53/625/Add.2)]

S.L. v. Commission scolaire des Chênes, Frequently Asked Questions and Answers The following questions and answers are those that we have heard most frequently asked about the S.L. v. Commisison scolaire

Article 26 (Exchange of Information) of the Protocol to the Double Tax Treaty between Cyprus and Russia The Protocol The Protocol to the Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) between Cyprus and Russia was signed

RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING THE PROMOTION AND USE OF MULTILINGUALISM AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO CYBERSPACE UNESCO, Paris CONTENTS PREAMBLE... 1 Development of multilingual content and systems... 2 Facilitating

Freedom of information guidance Exemptions guidance Section 41 Information provided in confidence 14 May 2008 Contents Introduction 2 What information may be covered by this exemption? 3 Was the information

michael e. hersher Home Schooling in California The recent decision of the California Court of Appeal in the Rachel L. case set off a storm of protest from the California home school community and drew

Europeanisation of Family Law I. The increasing importance of comparative law * II. Family law and culture * III. Unification of family law in Europe. A status questionis * IV. Harmonisation and the search

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Brussels, 14.3.2005 COM(2005) 82 final GREEN PAPER on applicable law and jurisdiction in divorce matters (presented by the Commission) {SEC(2005) 331} EN EN GREEN

SCREENING CHAPTER 23 Country Session: 4.1. THE RIGHT TO VOTE AND STAND FOR EP ELECTIONS Voting in diplomatic missions in Turkey is not prohibited by the Turkish legislation. Foreigners may cast their votes